Kyev has blamed that there in no unity among EU members over the graon ban row
Ukraine is planning to sue Poland, Hungary and Slovakia in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over their bans on Ukrainian agricultural products.
A magazine quoted Ukrainian Trade Representative – Taras Kachka as saying that Ukraine could also impose reciprocal measures on the import of fruits and vegetables from Poland if Warsaw did not drop its additional steps.
Speaking on the occasion, Kachka said, “We would be forced to retaliate on the additional products and would prohibit the import of fruit and vegetables from Poland.”
He further said, “I think that Hungary here is making a political statement that it wants to block trade with Ukraine and as well disregard Brussels completely. And that’s why I think that this is a very bold movement against both of us from Budapest.”
Kachka said Kyiv is ready to take on the responsibility to ensure that export from Ukraine is not creating any tsunami in neighbouring countries and that it would impose a system of real-time export licences for grains.
The E.U. allowed its ban to expire after Ukraine said it would take measures to tighten control of exports to neighbouring countries.
Earlier in May 2023, the restrictions imposed by the European Union (E.U.) allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to ban the domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds while permitting transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere. This was done to protect the interest of domestic farmers. While the restriction expired last week, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced their bans on Ukrainian grain and said they were acting in the interests of their economies and that the move is intended to protect their farmers.
The Prime Minister of Poland – Mateusz Morawiecki said, “We will extend this ban despite the European Union’s disagreement. We will not listen to Berlin or Von der Leyen, Tusk or Weber. We will do it because it is in the interests of the Polish farmer.”
The Farm Ministry said that 1.4 million tons of Ukrainian farm goods left the country by train in the first three months of the 2023/24 July-June season out of a total export volume of 4.5 million tons. Ukraine ships grain by train via crossings with Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. Ukraine also shipped by rail an additional 1 million tons of oils and oilseeds.
Meanwhile, the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission – Valdis Dombrovskis called on countries to work along the lines of the new agreement and refrain from unilateral measures on Ukrainian grain imports.
